Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Italy instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 28.9 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 54 years (52 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2022. In Italy, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.6 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Italy, that number is 19.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 19.5 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $2,000 as of 2020, while in Italy, the GDP per capita is $39,000 as of 2020.

be 58.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 23.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Italy, that number is 9.9% as of 2019.

be 63.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 54.5% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Italy, however, that number is 20.1% as of 2018.

pay a 2.4 times higher top tax rate

Afghanistan has a top tax rate of 20.0% as of 2016. In Italy, the top tax rate is 48.8% as of 2016.

Life

be 99.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 638.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Italy, 2.0 women do as of 2017.

be 2.7 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Italy, it is 99.2% as of 2018.

be 97.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 104.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Italy, on the other hand, 3.2 children do as of 2022.

have 80.4% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Italy, there are 7.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 3.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 18.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Italy, about 70.0% do as of 2020.

be 30.6% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 76% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Italy, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 34.1% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 13.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Italy, that number is 8.7% of GDP as of 2019.

spend 34.4% more on education

Afghanistan spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Italy spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Afghanistan Revenue Department, Italian Revenue Agency.

Italy: At a glance

Italy is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 294,140 sq km. Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy is a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include sluggish economic growth, high youth and female unemployment, organized crime, corruption, and economic disparities between southern Italy and the more prosperous north.
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How big is Italy compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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